


if we spot it

by 8glassesofmilkin3minutes



Series: if we spot it [1]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fate, Light Angst, Light drug use, M/M, Road Trip, but it’s never specified so it’s really your call, diner, hopeful overall though, i imagine alex in fingerless gloves when they’re outside, jupiter saturn conjuction, set in New Mexico, small town, there are no coincidences, they're two to three years younger than in rwrb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28281525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8glassesofmilkin3minutes/pseuds/8glassesofmilkin3minutes
Summary: Two strangers, two reasons, and one diner.Jupiter and Saturn conjoin, and so do their lives.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Series: if we spot it [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071701
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27





	if we spot it

**Author's Note:**

> If you can...  
> read it slowly.

After four straight hours of driving, the sun had set. Having had nothing to eat since breakfast, Henry turned left at the sight of the lonely-looking diner off the nondescript stretch of open road. It was a beacon of neon against the dark sky and open fields it sat across from, and despite the bright lights illuminating its interior, it appeared rather empty. 

Inside, there was one other patron. They were faced away from the entrance, so Henry saw nothing but a head of dark, loose curls. Henry slipped into his own booth, feeling a little unnerved at the idea of having his back toward the one other customer there, and therefore choosing a seat that allowed him to see the person. He got one glimpse before looking down at the laminated menu sitting on his table—at the other booth was a young man who looked around Henry’s age. And from what Henry could tell, his plate was empty. 

An only slightly older man came over to Henry from behind the counter and asked if he could get Henry anything. Henry ordered the least risky sandwich option he could find, with a side of fries and a juice that didn’t look like it could go wrong. The man’s brow furrowed as he heard Henry speak, in a way Henry had come to learn meant that someone was taken aback by his accent. But he said nothing about it, didn’t take down Henry’s order, and told him it’d be ready soon. So Henry waited, twisted the point of his shoe against the little dark red tiles, looked out the window at the vast expanse of nothingness, and waited some more. 

He stole another glance at the boy at the other booth, and was surprised by how handsome he found him. He didn’t appear to be very happy, his chin resting on one fist as he gazed out the window in a dejected, or perhaps frustrated, way, but that gentle scowl did not detract from the thick eyebrows it furrowed, the dark pink lips it turned into a pout, the remarkable cut of the boy’s jaw, or, most striking to Henry—the eyelashes that appeared naturally upturned, so full and long Henry noticed them from where he was sat.

He registered the boy’s eyes turn towards his and immediately averted his gaze, heart hammering.

After receiving his food, Henry continued to steal momentary looks at the pretty boy; he couldn’t help himself. He may as well enjoy the one vaguely positive thing to come out of this situation, he thought, as he committed the boy’s features to memory, storing them away in his mind’s inventory of interesting strangers. The boy’s plate was indeed empty, Henry confirmed through one of his stolen glances. And he had been done with his food since before Henry had arrived. He was just sitting there now, looking out the window, brooding. And Henry must have been staring too long, because the two of them locked eyes again, and this time Henry reflexively turned his whole head, in a very conspicuous way.

“What are you looking at?”

Henry froze mid-bite. 

After a few seconds of silence, he continued to eat. 

“You come from out of town?” the man asked, and out of his peripheral vision Henry saw that this question was accompanied by a small nod in his direction.

Henry’s mind immediately went to the switchblade in his tote, disguised as a key, although he shuddered at the thought of having to use it. He then wondered if carrying around a tote in this anonymous small town wasn’t the wisest of choices.

“Don’t go scaring the kid off, Alex,” the man behind the counter said lightheartedly. 

The boy laughed then, a little sheepish, and scrubbed a hand across his face. “Sorry,” he said, looking at Henry, _talking_ to Henry. Henry, ridiculously, felt the bit of fear that dwindled away at the waiter’s words be replaced with a warm admiration for the sound of this boy, Alex’s, laughter and voice.

Then he stood up, and pulled out a chair from the table nearest to Henry. 

“Sorry,” he repeated. He raised his hands up and said, “I’m harmless, promise.”

Henry was relieved, but unsure how to feel about the fact that he himself was so nonintimidating that this man not only felt comfortable approaching him, but comfortable reassuring Henry of his harmlessness.

“Noah knows me,” he said, pointing to the waiter. _Noah_ smiled and raised a hand in acknowledgement, then continued toweling off a dish. “I’m Alex,” he continued, extending a hand for Henry to shake. Henry did. 

This Alex’s hands were warm and a little rough, but clean-feeling.

“Henry,” Henry said. 

Alex leaned in and rested his elbows on his knees. He wore a simple, loose, beige t-shirt tucked into dark, wide-cut jeans.

“We don’t get new people often,” he explained. “What brings you here?”

“Just driving,” Henry said, not sure how much to give away.

“All the way from England?” Alex asked with a smile, and Henry actually laughed. Then he shook his head.

“Going to meet a friend.” Henry then chose to change the subject, deciding to ask what was on his mind. If this cute stranger was as friendly as he seemed, why not make the most of it? It’d make an interesting story to tell Pez, at least. “What about you? You’ve been here for a while.”

“I live here,” Alex shrugged.

“At the diner?” Henry’s eyebrows raised involuntarily.

“ _No_ ,” he laughed. “Here.” Alex gestured with his head to the general outdoors.

“I haven’t seen a home for miles,” Henry observed.

Alex pointed across the street at the open stretch of land. “That’s my family’s farm.”

Henry looked, and noticed faint lights in the distance that were presumably coming from Alex’s house, a long way down from the edge of the expanse of grass.

“It’s massive,” Henry observed.

“Yeah,” Alex said with another light laugh. Henry wanted to catch that laugh and bottle it up for later.

“You seemed upset. Sitting there.”

Alex gave Henry a piercing look. “I just needed some space. And a waffle.”

“Bit late for breakfast, isn’t it?”

Alex grinned, and Henry’s heart fluttered.

“My comfort food.”

“What were you seeking comfort from?” Henry asked, riding a wave of courage, knowing he’d probably never see this man again.

Alex cocked his head a bit and considered. “My mom and dad were under the same roof. Never a good thing.”

“What, uh,” Henry tried to work off of what little he had, deeply unconfident in his approach, but so, so, genuinely curious, and also overtaken by the silliest urge to do what he could to ease some of this boy’s unhappiness. “What brought them under the same roof?”

“He just misses her,” Alex said resolutely, brow furrowing again, eyes aimed somewhere near Henry’s feet. “I didn’t even listen to the details. He just came in, acting like he needed something, as if it couldn’t wait—” He took a breath, sighed, then laughed, heavy. “Sorry, I… It’s just, I think my dad would prefer fighting with my mom every now and then over not seeing her at all. But then we have to listen to it. Me and my sister.”

Henry absorbed this, and plundered on. “I’m sorry. It sounds tough. I understand why you’re upset.” 

Alex opened his mouth quickly, looking off to the side and seeming ready to argue, but then his expression shifted. He looked back down and shrugged. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess. Sorry, I don’t mean to put this on you, you’re just a random stranger, not my therapist.”

Henry shrugged, and took a sip of his juice. “I don’t mind,” he said honestly. He wanted to listen to anything Alex had to say, his voice as warm as his hand was earlier, and just the perfect amount of gravelly.

“Well, thanks. I...How are you, then? You been having a good day?”

Henry couldn’t help but laugh. “Define _good_.”

“I’ll take that as a no, then?”

“I c—” He stopped himself, still not a hundred percent sure about Alex yet, not a hundred percent sure about this town. He chewed his lip softly for a second, thinking. “I told my family something today, something important. And it wasn’t taken too well. I’m sure it’ll blow over eventually, but, well...I guess I just needed some space, too.”

Alex looked at him intensely, like he’d heard all the words Henry had held back. He placed that warm hand on Henry’s knee. “I hope you get that. That space. And whatever else you need.”

Maybe an empathetic stranger was all he needed. 

Henry felt his throat tighten and did his best to swallow the feeling down.

Two sad people, both running from something. What were the odds?

“Well, anyway,” Alex stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Henry.” Henry felt something stir inside him at the sound of his name coming from Alex’s lips.

“You, too...Alex,” he replied, reveling in the taste of Alex’s name on his tongue. Alex smiled at him in response, which did absolutely nothing to calm Henry’s gut. He then tucked his chair in, returned to his booth, picked up his dishes, and left them on the counter with Noah. The two of them said their goodbyes, and Alex was out the door, leaving Henry with a strange sense of loss, finding himself wishing he’d at least gotten a final wave. 

Oh, well.

He pressed the outsides of his hands to his cheeks. _God,_ he was warm. 

When he finished his food, he brought his dishes to the counter like he saw Alex do earlier, and Noah gave him a look like he was holding back a laugh, but politely accepted them and wished Henry a good rest of his drive, and Henry thanked him.

He walked out, leaned against the hood of his car, and exhaled. 

Staring out at the sky, it was quite clear. There were nice spatterings of stars here and there. He breathed out again, rubbed his hands together against the chilly desert night, and just looked. He was out here, alone, and needed this time to just _look_. To just be. 

Alex’s voice startled him. “What’re you doing?”

Henry turned around and noticed Alex had been leaning against the brick wall of the diner for presumably the whole time he was out here. 

“Looking for the Jupiter and Saturn conjunction,” Henry said.

Alex walked over to him and removed his hands from the pockets of the jacket he was now wearing. “Heard about that on the news. Any luck?”

“No, and it must be over an hour since sunset. I doubt I’ll find it.”

“Not feeling very lucky, huh?” Alex asked with a smile.

“No, not tonight,” Henry said. He was feeling a little lucky, though. Just a little. 

How could he not, looking at this boy’s face?

“We catch all kinds of beautiful things out in this sky, you know. Some amazing meteor showers.” He nodded and said, “I think we’re gonna find it.” He then pulled something out of his jacket pocket, a joint, lit it carefully, and took a drag.

“Oh, so we’re looking together now?” Henry said teasingly.

“Guess so,” Alex replied, looking up at him. They were standing close enough now that he had to do that. He offered the joint to Henry, and Henry accepted. “Don’t worry,” he continued. “I don’t think we’ll be looking too long.”

Henry cocked his head in question. “You seem so sure.” He coughed and passed the joint back.

“You seem so not.”

Henry sighed. “I have been out here for a while.”

“You wanna bet?”

Henry gave him a questioning but indulgent look, and took him in, the sinewy point where his jaw met his neck, and upwards, the dip in the middle of his chin, the perk of his cupid’s bow.

“What’ll we bet?” Henry asked.

“How ‘bout this.” Alex turned fully towards him “If we spot it, you give me a kiss.”

Henry’s heart. His stomach. God, _his everything._

He kept his cool.

“Fair enough,” he said, with a quirk of his lips.

Alex’s eyes danced playfully. “Perfect. Now one thing, sweetheart.” He placed a hand on Henry’s shoulder, gently turning Henry’s body and pointing somewhere behind the diner. “Jupiter’s southwest.”

They did, in fact, spot it.

**Author's Note:**

> p.s. don't accept cannabis from strangers <3  
> love u all


End file.
